


Before my world was black and white but now I live in technicolour

by Multifandom_damnation



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Best Friends, Dysfunctional Family, Families of Choice, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Impulse Control, Post-Power Rangers (2017), Secret Identity, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:27:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25127731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Multifandom_damnation/pseuds/Multifandom_damnation
Summary: Sam Scott is more than a simple fisherman, and Jason Scott is more than just his son, the football player, the occasional orchestrator of foolish pranks. Sometimes, he's the taskmaster of petty thefts. Oh, and he just so happens to be a Power Ranger.
Relationships: Jason Lee Scott & Sam Scott
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	Before my world was black and white but now I live in technicolour

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a little all over the place, but I feel like I should explain a little! This fic was originally written because I was inspired by the scene in this fic with Jason and his dad in the kitchen, and their conversation (that I don't want to give way because I really like it!) and then I realized that Jason is actually? SO RECKLESS AND IMPUSLVIE??? In the span of like, 30mins, he 1) steals a cow for a prank. 2) gets into a car crash. 3) humiliated the bully of detention and asserts himself in the hierarchy. 4) becomes best friends with the resident weird kid, goes to his house to get his ankle monitor removed, and joins him in the quarry? And there are so many other things that he does that I just find crazy!! And I love it! I never really get a chance to write Jason as anything other than the kind leader and the protective best friend, so I really made an excuse to write him how I always wanted to! Because it's one of my favourite qualities of his, and I never really get to explore that. Also, on my recent rewatch of the movie, I realized that there's a whole fucking memorabilia shelf filled with Jason's achievements for the school and shit?? It made me involuntarily angry, not gonna lie. Do American schools actually have that or is that just something the movie added to show us how important Jason was to the team? I don't know. So many questions.
> 
> But, as I've said before, I think that the relationship between Jason and his dad in the movie is really deep and interesting? I wish we had gotten to explore it more. Because it's obvious tha Sam loves his son and just wants him to succeed, but he is very tough on Jason, and it feels like he's pushing his dreams onto his son and gets upset when Jason decides to do something different? Almost like Sam is living vicariously through Jason. But it's obvious that they're close, even though their relationship is a little tense. They looked close at the funeral, and when Sam went looking for Jason during the battle with Rita and when Jason saved him? I think that's very important. I have so many things I want to say, but so little time!! So I just hope that you enjoy reading the fic as much as I enjoyed writing it!!!

Nobody felt the need to question why Jason had led them to the school in the middle of the night after a long shift on patrol, still morphed into their armour and exhausted after such a night, and directed them to the hallway that led to detention. 

Considering how much time they spent in that room, they knew the trip like the back of their hands, and the fact that they were there at two in the morning on a school night was odd in itself, but he must have had some sort of important reason to drag them there, so they didn’t ask. Why would they? Jason was both their leader and their best friend. If he needed to go to the school at this time of night, then they would go with him.

Though they were a bit suspicious when he took a quick pit-stop around the back of the school at the maintenance shed and tore apart the wires that connected to the lights and cameras, they didn’t have the heart or the energy to question it.

But now they stood out in front of the mural of Jason and the Angel Grove Football Team, their colourful reflections in the glass, and nobody had any idea what they were doing there. They stood there in silence, shifting awkwardly as they watched Jason stare at his photo through the thick layer of glass before, without a hint of warning, he pulled his arm back and thew his elbow forward, shattering the glass and sending shards of all sizes cascading across the ground like a dangerous waterfall. The others held their breath in preparation of a siren, but no alarms blared as Jason laughed and reached forward to start pulling things apart. 

“Jason!” Kimberly hissed as she tried to stop Jason from removing anything else. He had his portrait in his hand already. “What are you doing?”

“Come on, Kim,” Jason was laughing. “Don’t tell me you’re not sick of looking at this stupid thing yet?”

“Of course I’m sick of seeing it, but you can’t just come in here and destroy school property!” She replied. “They’ll know it was you, and you’re already in enough trouble as it is.”

“How?” Jason scoffed, pulling away. He gestured at the colourful group, all morphed into their suits with their faces obscured by their visors. “Nobody knows who we are, and the cameras aren’t working. Nobody will know! Besides, they’re replacing this old thing anyway. I want to get my stuff before they throw it away. I’m the one who made this shitty place famous, you know. I’m taking my stuff.”

“Jason,” Billy said as he helped Jason lift a trophy from its pedestal. “This is stealing. You’re already on bad terms with the law.”

“I’m not Jason, I’m the Red Ranger. And I’m not stealing, I’m returning this property to its rightful owner.” Jason corrected as he ripped a medal off the wall. Shrugging, Billy joined him, and both Billy and Jason shoved them into Trini’s reluctantly waiting arms as Zack eagerly joined in. “This is _my_ stuff. These medals and trophies and shit all have my name on it. I’m the one who gave this school a reputation. I’m taking my stuff back before some pig-headed hot-shot comes in and they’re gone forever.”

A little further back from the groups with her arms crossed over her chest, Kim looked both ways down the hallway, tapping her foot impatiently. “Jason, the guard might be coming any minute now.”

Jason snorted as he handed Zack more trophies. “You think Angel Grove high has a security guard? That's cute, but in your dreams, Kim.”

Kim could only shake her head as the trophies began to pile up in Trini’s arms. “I forgot how reckless and impulsive you were, Jason Lee-Scott.”

“Reckless? Impulsive?” Jason snorted. “Kim, I’ve been wanting to do this since before I became a Ranger.”

When Kim threw her arms in the air and walked away, Billy paused in grabbing trophies to admire one, and the steadily growing pile in Trini’s arms. “Wow, Jason. You really won the school a lot of awards. Is this all because of you?”

“Yep. I was the best damn quarterback that this school ever had in the team. The biggest mistake I’ve ever made,” Jason said as he reached for the middle of the jersey, grabbing a bunch of the baby blue and white fabric, and ripped it clean off the wall. “This is _my_ jersey, and I’m taking it back.”

Zack whooped and rose a free-hand for a high-five, which Jason gladly accepted. “That’s the spirit, man! That’s the Jason I remember!”

As they celebrated, Kim returned, shaking her head. “You guys… what all-powerful being did I piss off to get stuck with you for the rest of eternity?” she reached over to help lighten the load that Trini was carrying, muttering under her breath.

“You love us,” Zack laughed as he whacked Kim on the back of the head and took off down the hallway, forcing her to follow after him. Sighing, Trini had no choice but to join them to make sure they didn’t get into any unsupervised trouble. 

That left just Billy and Jason behind in the hallway, alone before the desecrated mural. Jason stared at the empty cabinet that once housed his accomplishments and the scattering of glass-like cascading stars. “Jason?” Billy asked tentatively, looking down at the framed photo of Jason in his football gear in his hands. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

Jason made a harsh, angry sound as he kicked at the glass, sending tiny pieces clattering across the tiles. “Well, too late now. Let’s go.”

They escaped from the confining hallways of the school and out into the open street, running through the darkness with their arms filled with trophies and medals and sports memorabilia, and Jason led them to his address where his bedroom window was already opened in preparation, and the normally lit house was dark. “I don’t think my dad’s home from work yet. I didn’t see his car,” he whispered to them as they helped him usher the stolen items through the window and shove them under the bed. “Thanks, guys,”

“That was fun,” Trini grinned as she offered Jason the precariously stacked trophies in her hand. “It was smart to turn off the cameras and the alarm for the case.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve thought long and hard about this,” Jason said. 

“I never knew that you were the vindictive, spiteful type,” Kim observed from where she sat on the windowsill. “It’s strange.”

“Then you don’t know anything about me,” Jason took the framed photo from Billy and removed the photo from the frame before shoving it under his bed and slipping the folded photo into his bedside drawer. Zack handed him a plaque, and Jason tossed it on his chest of drawers and it disappeared somewhere within the mess. When every item was finally hidden from sight, Jason nodded in satisfaction and sat back. “You have no idea how relieved I am now that all that crap is finally here and out of that shitty hallway.”

“You really don’t think that it’s going to be connected back to you?” Billy asked.

“Unless someone was watching and know that I’m the Red Ranger, then I think we’re set,” Jason stood up and wiped his hands on his armour. “You guys should head home. Patrol is over for tonight.”

Zack punched him in the shoulder as he passed him, “I would have helped you commit petty crimes long ago if I had known that the reward would be an early night.”

“Don’t get used to it!” He called out quietly as Zack lept out of the window. One by one, the Rangers bid Jason goodbye as he stood in the middle of his room, until it was just him and Kimberly, leaning out the window and laughing as Trini tried to trip Zack as they ran down the street. “Kim?”

She turned to look at him, head cocked to her side, and her face lit up in a tired smile, “Yeah, Jase?”

“You’re not… really mad about what we did, are you?” He asked, suddenly very worried about her answer. “You’re not mad at  _ me _ ?”

“Me? Mad? At you? My leader and best friend?” Kim was laughing now, and Jason felt himself relaxing before she’d even finished speaking. “No way. It was something you needed to do in order to move on from that part of your life, and I’m more than happy to help you do that. Besides, you’re right. You won those awards, and if anyone was going to have them, I would much rather it be you then the school.”

“Thanks, Kim,” Jason sighed, and Kim laughed at him. “You should go home. It’s been a long night. Are you still on for dinner tomorrow?”

“Absolutely,” Kim said as she hung out of the window. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Make sure you give Pearl a big cuddle for me in the meantime though. I love that kid.”

“Sure thing,” Jason laughed. “Night, Kim.”

“Goodnight Jason.”

In the cafeteria the next day, rumours about who had broken into the school and stolen the items from the case were in everyone's mouths, and they all came to a collective head at lunch.

“It must have been Jason,” someone on a nearby table whispered. “It has to be!”

“No way, man. Jason’s not like that.”

“Who knows? He stole a cow for a prank, he might do this!”

“It can’t be him. He’s wearing that ankle monitor, remember? He couldn’t have done it or the police would be involved.”

“Well, who else could have done it? The Power Rangers? It has to be him!”

“You’re an idiot. It could have been so many people. Jason isn’t the only person in the school, you know.”

Jason was hiding his grin behind a forkful of terrible lunch food, and the rest of the Rangers were watching him with barely-concealed laugher. “Alright,” Kim conceded. “This is funny. If I had known about this part, I never would have argued.”

“They’re all so stupid,” Zack said. “It’s great!”

“I wonder who’s going to get the blame for it?” Billy asked, leaning forward into the huddle as more people passed by their table. “They couldn’t possibly think that it was you, because of your ankle monitor. You have an alibi. Our parents will vouch for us if we get questioned. They couldn’t bring the Power Rangers in even if they were suspects. Who’s going to take the fall?”

“If you want my vote?” Trini rose her eyebrows and nodded in the direction of the new football quarterback, standing in a huddle of Jason’s old teammates and friends, making a fool of himself. “I hope it’s that guy. He’s a prick, and it would make sense for him to get rid of the memorial of the guy he’s replacing.”

“That’d be great,” Jason said before he leant forward. “You guys are still on for tonight, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Zack said. “I can’t wait to see what kind of fight you and your dad get into this time.”

“Very funny,” Jason stood as the bell rang. “Just be there. I promised all of you and they’ll think something odd is happening if you don’t all show up.”

That night, just as the sun was setting and the sky was painted orange and purple, Jason helped his dad carry things between the kitchen and the dining table. Their relationship, while still rocky, had improved to the point where they no longer got into an argument every time they were in the same room together. But tonight, Sam was looking at his son a little too often with an expression that Jason couldn’t describe, and the feeling of his father's eyes at the back of his head was driving Jason insane.

In the lounge room, Trini and Kim sat on the couch with Pearl as she walked them through the names of all her favourite toys while Zack and Billy sat on the floor playing one of Jason’s old video game consoles that had a 50/50 chance of working first time, most of the CD’s scratched to high hell.

It was strange to have a full house, but Jason couldn’t say that he didn’t enjoy it. With his father off on the boat for as often as he was, occasionally overnight, and his mother at work during school hours and sometimes on weekends, it was often just Jason and Pearl. It was nice having both his parents and all his friends in the same place at the same time. It was rare enough as it was.

Jason just focused on carrying things from the kitchen and placing them strategically on the diner table and made sure he laid out the right amounts of plates and glasses and cutlery. Throughout it all, Jason felt his dad watching him, and eventually when it was just the two of them alone in the kitchen, he turned to him and snapped, “Look, I know that you have something to say to me, so just say it.”

There was silence between them except for the sound of the running water from the tap, which his father abruptly silenced with the squeaking of the rusty handle. Sam didn’t speak for a few long moments. “I heard that your achievement case at school was broken into and someone stole all your trophies.”

“Yeah,” Jason said. “What about it?”

“How do you feel about it?” Sam asked, turning away.

“Great,” Jason replied. “I’m glad that someone did it. That school didn’t deserve those trophies. I’m the only reason they got to many. If it weren’t for me, they wouldn’t even have a football team much less a case full of trophies and awards. I’m glad that they’re out of that place.”

Sam tutted. “You can’t say those things, Jason. You’re part of a team.  _ Were _ , part of a team. Those achievements were the team's awards.”

“You know I’m right,” Jason fired back.

For the first time in a long time, Sam actually laughed. Not a deep belly-aching laugh like long ago, but a long chuckle that felt genuine, and Jason was surprised. “Yeah, I know. You’ve still gotta say it, because otherwise, you’ll come off as a ‘sore loser’ and not ‘a team sport’. But I didn’t see any other players with their jersey and photo in a trophy case like that.” 

“Lucky them,” Jason said, and he wasn't shocked with how genuinely he meant it, how bitter it came out. “I think it’s a terrible idea. If I’d had a choice, I would have asked them not to do it. It’s hell walking past that thing at school, even before I got kicked off the team.”

Sam was watching him out of the corner of his eye, but Jason ignored it. “You really hated playing football, huh?” Jason just shrugged. He didn’t know what to say anymore. It was obvious. It was the main reason why he stole that cow and got into the car crash. “Why did you keep playing if you hated it so much?”

“Because it made you happy. It made you proud,” Jason said. He hated to admit it, but it was true. He never played for himself. “It was the only thing that I could do to make you say you were proud of me. You came to all my games and training sessions but nothing else. I played because it was your dream to see me on the field. I only wanted you to be proud of me, but then you only saw me as the star quarterback and not as your son. That’s why I stole that cow- because I wanted you to see your son and not just a football player,” he sighed. He hated having to talk about it. “It was the only thing I’ve ever been good at.”

His statement was met by total silence, and Jason was afraid of the expression on his father's face, so he occupied himself by looking through the fridge. He had never actually said any of that to his father's face, and he was terrified to see his reaction. He dillydallied as long as he could until the silence got awkward, and when he shut the fridge door, he was surprised to see his father leaning against the kitchen sink, arms crossed over his chest, a contemplative expression on his face. “Well,” Sam said quietly, and Jason thought he heard a hint of pride in his father's voice. “I guess it’s a good thing that you’ve found some other talents to get you by, huh?’

Jason felt his blood run cold, and his words got stuck in his throat. Behind him, the rest of the Rangers were beginning to settle into their seats at the table, Pearl and Beverly busy keeping them entertained. “What?” Jason managed to laugh.

He heard the table quiet down other than Pearl’s happy chatter. Sam looked… sympathetic almost. Understanding, yet sad. “Come on, Jason. I’m not an idiot. I know I look like one, and sometimes I can be a bit obstinate and stubborn, but I’m no fool.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Jason said as he spun on his heel and made his way towards the dining table. He locked eyes with Kimberly, who was looking worriedly between Jason and Sam, and now her eyes were wide. Beside her, even the other Rangers had settled down to listen, and they pretended that they weren’t paying attention, though not doing a very good job. 

When Jason felt a heavy hand on his shoulder, he stopped. “Jason.  _ Jason _ , I know.  _ I know _ , alright? You're my son. You don’t think I wouldn’t recognize you behind a stupid helmet?”

Zack choked on his drink and played it off by turning into the back of the chair and hacking into the crux of his elbow. Jason slowly turned around to face his dad. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he repeated.

Sam sighed. “Look, I get that you probably can’t tell me. Superhero rule, right? Don’t give away your secret identity? Batman? Superman? I get it, and I’m not trying to wheedle it out of you, but I want you to understand that I  _ know _ and that I am  _ proud  _ of you for it. Because all this… whatever  _ this  _ is, is so much more important than a stupid school football team and a sports scholarship.”

“Dad,” Jason tried to argue. “I don’t-”

“Shut up for ten seconds and just listen for once,” Sam said lowly. “I’m your dad, Jason. I don’t want you to admit anything. I just… I don’t know. But you saved me, that day the crazy woman and her golden robot attacked. You pulled me from my truck when it started burning, and I  _ know  _ it was you, and there’s no point trying to convince me otherwise. Do you really think I would put up news clippings of the Red Ranger and his team for no reason?” Sam gently slapped him in the chest with the back of his hand. “I have eyes, Jase. I know my son from a lineup no matter what he’s wearing. Don’t say anything- just know that I know and that I’m proud.” Jason was shaking his head, and Sam rested a heavy hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Son, that ankle monitor hasn’t worked a single time since the month you got it put on. I noticed that much right away. As for everything else? Mostly guesswork. Except for that last night, when I watched the Power Rangers leap into your bedroom window with their arms full of the stuff stolen from the school, and then only four of them left afterwards.”

Jason stiffened instinctually. “You were working late last night.”

Smiling, Sam shook his head. “I dropped my car off at Pete’s to get serviced. I was home.”

If Sam’s hand wasn’t resting heavily on his shoulder, Jason was sure that he would have toppled over and collapsed in a comatose heap on the kitchen tiles. “Dad, you don’t understand, you can’t-”

“I understand plenty,” Sam interrupted gently. “I don’t want you to break your sacred oath or whatever, but I thought you ought to know that you have someone _normal_ on your side. Your mother and sister don’t know. I haven’t said a word. And I know that your friends… well. I can count, too. It’s obvious once you think about it. But did you really think that you were getting away with coming home every day covered in cuts and bruises? You’re not so slick. I don’t know what I’m trying to accomplish here, Jason, but I just felt like you had a right to know. Don’t admit or deny, I don’t want you to get into any trouble. Lying by omission and all that, heh. But… I’m proud of you. Just know that.”

Not knowing what to say, Jason’s mouth opened and closed stupidly like a fish. His breath was trapped in his chest, his voice caught in his throat. All he could do was blink dumbly at his knowingly grinning father, as Sam brought him to his chest for a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around Jason’s torso and squeezing tightly. Afraid of what would happen if he said anything at all, Jason kept his mouth shut as Sam finally pulled back and looked at him lovingly. A rare expression indeed. “Let’s sit down before your mother starts stressing.”

Sam led Jason back to the table and sat down in his usual spot beside Beverly and Jason sunk into a seat next to an excitedly yammering Pearl, weary and confused, yet there was a small swell of pride blooming within his chest. The rest of the Rangers were trying to hold back their laughter, sniggering behind their hands, and Zack kicked him under the table. Billy clapped his hands and wiggled in his seat, while Trini wiggled her eyebrows at him. Kim was staring at him with a knowing look, and slowly, a small smile began to curl across Jason’s lips as the impact of what had just happened finally hit him. And he couldn’t find it in his heart to be unhappy about it.

“So!” Sam rubbed his hands together and winked at Jason. “Let's eat kids. I’m starving.”


End file.
